Community Corner

DMV Embarking on Commercial Vehicle Safety Campaign

Stepped-up commercial safety enforcement efforts to run Tuesday through Thursday.

Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Melody Currey said it is time for the annual DMV truck and bus safety campaign. 

The three-day commercial vehicle safety enforcement and education blitz around the state will commence Tuesday and run through Thursday. It is part of Roadcheck 2011, an international activity that will take place throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico, the DMV said. 

The DMV said commercial vehicle safety division enforcement officers, along with State Police, will be placing additional emphasis in key points around the state on commercial truck and commercial bus safety. The areas of emphasis include Interstates 84, 95, 91,  395 and 384. Enforcement officers will also be using weigh stations as well as the state's two casinos to undertake their inspection and enforcement actions.

"We want truck and bus company operators, and the drivers of their vehicles, to know that safety is a top priority in Connecticut," Currey said. "On the spot we will put out of service vehicles we find that are in violation of the critical safety regulations and laws." 

DMV truck safety enforcement officers have a lengthy checklist that is reviewed on each vehicle. Each review can take up to an hour to complete. Checkpoints will monitor: 

• Proper tires.

• Properly functioning brakes.

• Systems for securing a load so that it stays in place while being transported.

• Working lights.

• Whether a driver has exceed the number of hours allowed for driving.

• Driver is fatigued.

• Properly completed log books.

• Conformance regarding with height and weight requirements for the vehicle.

Vehicles failing in major categories of the checklist will be placed out of service, the DMV said. That  means the vehicle must either be towed from the inspection site or fixed there before it legally can be driven again.

Roving DMV and State Police enforcement will also be part of the Roadcheck 2011 effort in Connecticut, the DMV said. The Connecticut campaign, which is run through the DMV, is part of the nationwide show of force on June 7 through 9, sponsored by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and their various state partners across the country. 

The goal of the enforcement efforts is to raise awareness about the need for truck safety on the nation’s roads and to educate drivers and their companies about safety requirements, the DMV said.


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